London has so many top football teams that anyone visiting the city is spoilt for choice. Whether you want to grab some gritty lower league football or see the stars of the global game in the Premier League, there is something for all fans. The clubs are spread across all parts of the capital too, from Spurs and Barnet in the north to Crystal Palace and Bromley in the south, and from Brentford in the west to Charlton Athletic in the east.
What’s more, there are options for all financial budgets too. Whilst a ticket to a top-class Premier League game won’t leave you with much change out of £100, you can take in live action at the likes of Bromley or Wealdstone for far less.
However, if you want to watch the very best, biggest and most successful teams in the English capital, there are probably three options most fans would consider. Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal are all names that are known across the world and all three are huge clubs, with broad fanbases and have enjoyed a great deal of success, at least relative to most sides in English football.
However, if we are considering only the silverware the trio have won, three soon becomes two, because Spurs lag some way behind the other two in terms of major trophies. But which of Chelsea and Arsenal have enjoyed the most success?
How Do We Measure Success?
There are many different ways we could consider success but in the sense that most fans understand it, it really does have to come down to silverware. Fan engagement, community projects, high attendances, beautiful football and, in this day and age, social media following, are all well and good, but fans crave trophies.
Over the years there have been various lesser trophies available to teams in minor, no longer existing competitions. We are not going to include these, nor any league titles beneath the top tier of English football. In addition, “super cups”, such as the Community Shield, where entrance is gained via winning another competition and typically only two, or perhaps a few more teams, take part, are excluded from our analysis.
What that leaves us, is the top-flight title, the FA Cup, the League Cup and three UEFA-sanctioned European competitions: the Champions League (including in its previous guise as the European Cup), the Europa League (and UEFA Cup) and the European Cup Winners’ Cup, though this no longer exists.
Arsenal Well Ahead in Terms of League Titles
Only Man United and Liverpool have won the English title more times than Arsenal. The Gunners have been crowned champions of the old Division One and Premier League a combined total of 13 times. Next come Man City (10) and Everton (nine), with Aston Villa sixth with seven titles. Chelsea are joint-seventh with Sunderland, both clubs having earned six top-tier league wins, although Sunderland’s last was way back in 1936.
By this metric, one of the most important, for sure, Arsenal are easily the most successful club in London and the most winningest, to use an awful American word, outside the North West region of England. They have won this huge trophy more than twice as many times as the Blues, and so are likely to maintain a lead for many years and even decades to come.
What About the FA Cup?
When it comes to the FA Cup, not even North West kings Man United and Liverpool can match Arsenal. Ahead of the 2024/25 season, the Gunners have lifted the famous old trophy a record 14 times. Man United are second with 13 wins, whilst it is Chelsea who currently sit in the bronze medal position with eight FA Cup triumphs to their name.
Arsenal first won the cup in 1930, their most recent success coming in 2020 when they beat their rivals from west London 2-1. In total the north London outfit have appeared in 21 finals, with the 21st century alone bringing them seven of their 14 wins.
The Blues may “only” have eight FA Cup wins, but they too have been particularly fruitful of late. Their first win was as recently as 1970, whilst their second was in 1997. Nonetheless, despite the six wins they have produced in the new millennium, the gap between them and the Gunners has only grown wider.
Chelsea Lead League Cup List
Chelsea are joint-fourth in terms of the overall list of League Cup wins, however, with the Gunners languishing down in joint ninth, this is one competition where the Blues have the upper hand. Chelsea have won five and lost five of the 10 finals they have appeared in, winning the League Cup for the first time in 1965 and then adding four more successes between 1998 and 2015.
The EFL Cup is one competition where the Gunners have enjoyed little success, winning the secondary domestic cup just twice. Their wins in 1987 and 1993 mean they have as many titles as Norwich, Birmingham and Wolves, and fewer than Leicester, Nottingham Forest and even some small London-based club that play in white.
What About Europe?
In domestic terms, it is clear that Arsenal have the upper hand, having won both of the more prestigious competitions many more times than Chelsea have managed. But what about the Champions and Europa League, and before that the Cup Winners’ Cup (neither has yet played in the Conference League)?
In European football it is Chelsea who have enjoyed far greater success. The Blues have won the biggest prize of all (the Champions League) twice, in 2011/12 and 2020/21. Arsenal are yet to win it. Chelsea also have two Europa League titles to their name and, once again, Arsenal are yet to trouble the engravers. The former won it in 2012/13 and again in 2018/19 – destroying Arsenal 4-1 in the final in 2019. Last of all we have the Cup Winners’ Cup and once again Chelsea have the upper hand, having won this lesser competition twice, compared to Arsenal’s sole win.
Arsenal Have the Edge
Arsenal have the advantage at home, and Chelsea have the superior record in Europe. The table below shows all the major trophies won by both clubs.
| Competition | Arsenal | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 13 | 6 |
| FA Cup | 14 | 8 |
| League Cup | 2 | 5 |
| Champions League | 0 | 2 |
| Europa League | 0 | 2 |
| European Cup Winners’ Cup | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 30 | 25 |
With five more major trophies won, we feel it is fair to say that Arsenal have been more successful over the years than Chelsea and are thus the most successful side in the capital. One can debate the relative merits of the different competitions, but ultimately, given they have more total trophies, including in both major domestic competitions, we have to give Arsenal the edge.